


Breathe With Me

by kynologia



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Familiars, Fluff, M/M, familiar!Dirk Strider, sorry this is basically my first fic ever I don't know tags, witch!Jake English
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29476071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kynologia/pseuds/kynologia
Summary: Just a simple pair of scenes from a DirkJake magic AU.Jake English is a witch, Dirk Strider is his familiar. They're going to do some gay charms. Let's take a look!(May add chapters and update rating as needed in the future!)
Relationships: Jake English/Dirk Strider
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19
Collections: DirkJake Big Bang 2k21





	Breathe With Me

It’s late at night, some time in mid-April. Normally, Jake can sleep just fine, and he leaves the insomnia to his feline familiar, but tonight is unusual. Something feels restless within him, and when caught still awake by Dirk, the blonde suggested they look into some magic work to tire him out. Jake, of course, jumped at the opportunity—but not before something to drink.

Sitting at the table in their small, cozy nook of a kitchen, Jake watches Dirk navigate expertly around the countertop to prepare their tea. It's a strange life they lead compared to most, but Jake doesn’t overly mind; it’s something he’s become accustomed to. It’s something that, by this point, feels like home.

“Now, as for charms… It’s my hunch that we’ll be stepping into blazing, treacherous territory? The charm _is_ called Dragon’s Breath, after all—it should only make sense that our venture leads us to… Well, fire!”

“Ambitious of you. But don’t get ahead of yourself just yet,” Dirk says, the corner of his lips twitching upward into something that looks like amusement. “A ‘Dragon’s Breath charm’ only implies that you cast the spell via exhaling after chewing the ingredients. Sorry to disappoint.”

Jake looks a little crestfallen at that. It may be the dead of night, but he was really anticipating some witchy pyrotechnics right there in the kitchen. Although now that he’s had some time to wake up and consider the thought, that’s something that Dirk would never allow—for fair reasons.

“So, I won’t be breathing actual fire? A bit of a letdown, but I’m still interested,” Jake sighs half-heartedly, wide green eyes betraying disappointment when he looks up at his _charming_ (haha) partner.

That gets a snort from Dirk. “No, Jake, you won’t be breathing fire. Not until later, at least—that shit’s advanced. We’re working with charms, not spellwork.”

This time, Jake genuinely pouts. “Oh, boo. You’re no fun anymore, Dirk! I probably wouldn’t even burn up the house that terribly.” The brunette shakes his head as if it’s a truly pressing issue, but he’s quick to turn on a dime and drop his lighthearted petulance entirely. “But yes, fine—go ahead and charm me, Strider.” The words are sealed with a teasing wink.

Dirk tries and promptly fails to not be embarrassed by the gesture, instead leaning up against the counter and shifting his focus to the tea kettle as it begins to boil. He drums his fingers along the wood until the water is hot enough, adding a scoop of chamomile blossoms and valerian leaves to let steep for a few minutes.

“Well, I’ll leave you to your tea, I think,” he says, straining the tea and placing the fresh, aromatic cup in front of Jake. “There’s some shit on my workbench that needs organizing.”

Jake offers a playful salute before reaching for the cup, carefully blowing away the fragrant steam as it cools. “I’ll dutifully man my station here until my beverage task is complete, then.” He sips the tea, although quickly recoils and smacks his lips a bit. The drink is very clearly still hot, and Dirk holds back a smile as he pushes himself up from the counter. He saunters off, up the stairs and into his personal workroom, leaving Jake alone in the kitchen.

After watching him go, Jake sighs softly, though not dejectedly. Staring into the cooling liquid, the witch makes a conscious effort to focus on his breathing and relax. Being around Dirk is always a blessing and curse in a lot of ways, like there’s always some unspoken tension that the both of them revere too much to break. Surely it must be palpable to Dirk too, that heavy energy—Jake knows that he’s sensitive to that sort of thing, so he wonders if that means that neither of them will ever mention it. When the two of them first met, that silent magnetism set Jake on edge. Now, it’s faded into something more natural, almost comforting in its presence; although when he stops to consider it for a moment, Jake realizes that the comfort might just be _Dirk himself_.

Not being one to reminisce or ponder too deeply for his own sake, Jake redirects his efforts to make quick work of the tea. Dirk always brews it the best, so it’s not difficult. He manages to focus a small bit of magical energy through his fingertips and around the warm teacup, cooling the beverage to something more palatable. It’s a convenient little trick that his Grandma taught him back in his childhood. Jake smiles quietly to himself as the memory resurfaces.

When he’s finished, Jake gets to his feet to set the empty cup in the sink, soon following the same steps Dirk took to reach his workroom upstairs. He hesitates for a moment before he enters, staring at the dark oak wood of the closed door. This room once belonged to his Grandma, along with the entire house. He hasn’t ventured into it since she passed, although Dirk seemed effortlessly drawn to making it his personal workspace. The whole place is still kind of a messy enigma to Jake; he knocks lightly on the doorframe, intrigued to see the inside after so many years.

There’s a brief sound of shuffling behind the door before Dirk’s voice calls, “It’s unlocked.” 

Jake opens the door and slips through the threshold, eyes curiously glancing around the room. Not only does it _look_ vastly different from his last visit, but…

“Sakes alive, Dirk, this place _feels_ like you,” he whispers, voice soft with awe. He and Dirk have always had the otherworldly bond that comes with the territory of being a familiar, and Jake has been able to feel it in the past, to an extent. Now, standing in Dirk’s space, the energy is so present that it washes over him, surrounding him in a way that’s nearly breathtaking. “It’s like… Imbued with your essence, or something like that. I’ve never really felt it so strongly before… Huh.”

Jake is so lost in his brush with the magical connection that it takes him a good few moments to notice that Dirk is nowhere to be seen: at least, not his human form. In front of the great wooden desk near the window sits a graceful orange tabby cat. How mysterious, and not at all an utter delight to Jake!

“I have a lot of items in here that are close to my being,” the cat speaks in Dirk’s voice.

“So it seems! Hey there, kitty Dirk, it’s always a pleasure to see you.” Jake is beaming as he approaches the cushioned chair where Dirk sits in his feline state. Of course he’s encountered his familiar with his kitty-kitty appearance a handful of times over the years, but it still remains a fun sight.

Dirk’s mouth doesn’t move, but his voice can be heard clearly, if not faintly. “Dude, I’m not some totally separate entity,” he says, hopping from the chair up to the table. “Sit down.”

Following the instruction, Jake sits where his familiar just moved from, expression settling into a smaller, fond smile. “Yes, well, I simply have to refer to you as kitty Dirk sometimes, you know. I am under a moral obligation to do so!”

A cat’s face is only so expressive—combined with one Dirk Strider’s extremely low base level of expressiveness, and you get a complete stone-face. His whiskers _may_ have just twitched slightly, but he would never admit it even if Jake asked. 

“I had a lot on my mind. Sometimes a guy just gets tense enough to turn into a cat,” he brushes off. From there, the subject is quickly refocused on their objective of the night. “It’s about time you start to familiarize yourself with what’s in this room, starting with the drawers. There are some flower petals in the top left two,” Dirk explains. “Stone dust to the bottom right.”

Jake starts to reach toward the indicated drawers, then pauses, looking at Dirk again. “...Okay, but could I perhaps pet you a bit first?” As soon as the words are out, Jake feels his face warm. Sometimes his own unfiltered words manage to embarrass him. It’s not like he thinks over what he wants to say very often—usually, he just speaks off the cuff and hopes for the best. So, Jake follows his standard ‘damage control’ plan and adds a disclaimer to his thoughts.

“Not to be weird, but you do look very soft, and it might assist with the tension.” Nailed it.

Dirk just looks at Jake for a few beats, his tail swishing side to side. “That isn’t weird,” he starts. “But it does sound pretty tender of you. Alright, Jake, pet away.” While Dirk would usually never allow himself to be pet by someone, this is Jake, and Jake makes everything nicer. Dirk jumps the short distance into Jake’s lap, turning around three times before he sits proper.

The whole ‘tender’ comment flusters Jake further and has his face flushing lightly. Not for the first time, he’s grateful for the low lighting and his own dark skin tone to make the blush less noticeable. Idly, he wonders if cats are colorblind, anyway.

Jake speaks something indistinct under his breath as Dirk settles in his lap, but soon loses himself in the soothing motion of petting down Dirk’s back to care much. How can he be so damn soft?

The playing field of embarrassment is quickly evened out as Dirk begins to purr, much to his own chagrin. Jake, on the other hand, is immensely smug about this development, and scratches behind Dirk’s ear as positive reinforcement.

“Uh, what did you say?” Dirk asks, referencing Jake’s mumbling.

“Hm? Oh. I don’t remember?” Internally, Jake curses himself for his chronic inability to lie on the spot like that. Besides, it’s not like dishonesty flies very smoothly with a preternatural connection.

“You clearly aren’t telling me the truth here. You might even be trying to distract me,” Dirk says, although he tilts his head into Jake’s hand nonetheless. Jake was right: the petting _is_ relaxing, and not just for the physical sensation. Being close with a partnered familiar is rejuvenating for both parties, spiritually and otherwise. Jake feels himself unwinding too, the tension between him and Dirk buzzing at a lower frequency than usual. Now, it’s just a pleasant presence, almost like a light blanket over him. When Jake next speaks, his voice isn’t as tight.

“Me, distract you? Poppycock, I’d never do such a thing,” he dismisses, fully aware of how boldfaced the lie is. There’s no pretense as he continues. “Surely it was just some throwaway comment about the use of the word tender, or something. I wouldn’t know.”

Dirk’s tail swishes again, this time in something that might be irritation. “I think you _would_ know,” he replies steadily. “Look, if you’re going to pet me and allow me to embarrass myself like this, the least you can do is tell me the truth. There’s nothing to be afraid of, I promise. I want to know.”

A deeply instinctual part of Jake wants to freeze and deflect and abscond. This is bordering precariously close to the precipice of vulnerability, even just the tiniest amount. That’s not the English way, it’s just not how things go! But sitting here in this safe, dark room that feels so strongly of comfort, of both Jake’s beloved Grandma and his partner Dirk… Well, it might be the best place to start speaking truthfully. Baby steps.

“You’re right, that’s a fair point,” Jake sighs, followed by a deep inhale. He’s unused to talking about his thoughts or feelings or pretty much _anything_ candidly, but for Dirk, he’ll try. All the world’s a stage, but maybe this can be in the wings instead.

“It’s just, when I asked to pet you, I think I’d almost rather the request come off as weird than… than tender.” There’s a nearly imperceptible tension in Dirk’s muscles as Jake speaks, and the witch rushes to clarify. “Not because of you, or—not that I don’t _want_ to be tender with you, it’s just—I mean—fuck.” Jake frowns, frustrated with himself and how he struggles to say what he means, or even figure out what he means in the first place. Something is short circuiting a bit.

“I don’t know,” he says, much softer than before. “Is being tender… Undesirable? Bad?”

Dirk doesn’t say anything at first, simply readjusting his position to lay fully across Jake’s lap. His purring starts up again, faint but steady—iit seems more for Jake’s comfort than anything else.

“You’re allowed to be vulnerable around me, you know,” Dirk says plainly. “I’m your familiar, Jake, I’ve seen you on your worst days and I’m not going anywhere. And you’ve seen me as a fucking adorable as shit orange cat, so I’d say we have a good level of trust here.”

Jake exhales a soft laugh, smiling. “Adorable as shit indeed. But… Yeah, I know. Thanks, Dirk.” He stops petting Dirk in favor of leaning down to press a gentle, tentative kiss to the top of his head, right between the ears. It’s immediately after that when the low, rumbling purr that begins in Dirk’s chest grows stronger, and neither he nor Jake seem to mind it.

* * *

“Good morning, Dirk!” Jake’s smile is natural as he enters the study, now lit by the sunlight filtering through the window instead of a few low-light candles.

Dirk is already hard at work it seems. Hunched over the desk and wearing his own orange robe, he scrutinizes a thick book that lies open under his fingers. To his left, there’s a notebook that he’s been writing in, full of notes and diagrams. When Jake enters, he hums monotonously in greeting, but doesn’t move otherwise.

“Morning,” he mumbles briefly, clearly lost in his current task. Jake steps closer to peek over Dirk’s shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the other man’s work. He brings a hand up to pet through Dirk’s blonde hair casually, not dissimilar to the previous night.

“What have you got here?”

“Working on today’s charm repertoire for you,” Dirk responds, finishing up his writing and sitting back against the chair. “Taking reference notes and shit.” Leaning his head back into Jake’s hand, Dirk’s eyes slip shut and a look of calm comes upon his face. Seeing his familiar content like that has Jake’s heart swelling in his chest.

“Thanks for that, I appreciate it a bunch. So, what do you have in store for me today?”

Dirk shrugs. “Whatever it is you’d like to work on, really.” Before Jake can open his mouth to comment, Dirk interjects. “ _Charms only_. No fire breathing in the damn house.”

Laughing, Jake messes Dirk’s hair with his hand before pulling away. “No fire breathing in the damn house _yet_ ,” he ribs. “Honestly, though, I can’t rightly say I have enough charm knowledge in the ol’ noggin to choose something to start with. Any suggestions?”

“We can continue with the Dragon’s Breath charm from last night,” Dirk offers. “Grab some dried peace lily from the shelf and settle in.”

Jake does as prompted, selecting the plant from its place on the ingredient shelf and taking a seat in the nearby chair, scooting it closer to the desk. “Okey doke, one dehydrated zen _Lilium_ acquired. I’m ready to be studious now!”

“I’m sure you are,” Dirk smirks, taking the flower to set on the table. “Peace lilies aren’t actually true lilies though, so technically _Araceae_ would be more accurate. Which reminds me, chewing this causes a mild burning sensation in the mouth, so head’s up for that.”

Dirk bends down to rummage through the lower drawers until he pulls out a small, delicate pouch and hands it to Jake. “Peace lily and Larimar powder. What do you remember about these two, Jake?”

“Hmm… Let’s see…” Taking a moment, Jake looks between the two ingredients, wracking his mind for the information from the somewhat distant lessons. He had caught on much faster with the herbology than the geological topics, but still feels fairly confident. “Well, peace lily is an air purifier, right? And promotes harmonious vibrations… And is apparently mildly toxic, and should be nibbled on carefully.” Dirk nods at this, encouraging Jake to continue.

“And Larimar… Oh, that’s right, that one’s downright aces for the throat, so I bet it’ll combat that so-called peace lily a bit! I recall that Larimar is mostly about serenity, but that it can be used in work with, uh, soulmates? And openness, and recognition…” Jake trails off, trying not to jump to any conclusions with the Larimar powder, even though his heartbeat picks up either way.

Nodding, Dirk slides the peace lily across the table toward Jake. “Yeah, exactly right. Good job, Jake.” The praise is enough to get a bright smile from Jake, and Dirk can’t help but return the expression, albeit at the toned-down Striderian level. “When you combine them, they make a pretty fuckin’ potent magical sedative.” 

“A sedative? You could’ve just knocked me out with that last night! But instead, you finagled some pets and cuddling, hm?” Jake’s tone is affectionately teasing, and Dirk scoffs in turn.

“That’s neither here nor there. Anyway, rub the peace lily petal between your fingers until it’s crushed up a bit.”

Separating the individual petal from the rest of the plant, Jake rolls it between his thumb and forefinger until it’s suitably broken, then looks up at Dirk for the next step.

“Alright, sweet. Now, tuck that back against your teeth and chew. Again, it might burn for a second, but I guess that gives you the ‘fire’ part of Dragon’s Breath,” Dirk snickers, watching as Jake puts the petal in his mouth. He chews for a few seconds, grimacing a little at the taste.

“Now that I have some nasty plant paste, what’s next?”

Dirk points to the small pouch on the desk. “Smear that Larimar powder on your top palate. Then, kind of mix that with the peace lily, and concentrate on those feelings of tranquility and openness. When you feel like it’s ready, I want you to blow on me.”

Jake blinks at him.

“Into my face,” Dirk clarifies, smirking ever so slightly.

Jake grins right back before moving on with the charm, scooping a generous amount of Larimar powder out of the pouch with his finger and then sticking it in his mouth. Even though it tastes decidedly _worse_ than the peace lily, it does work well to soothe the burning.

Sitting there with the ingredients blended together in his mouth, Jake takes a moment to close his eyes and focus on what he was told, to manifest tranquility and openness. This is always the part that Jake struggles with the most—harnessing a specific type of energy or emotion like that can be a challenge when you spend a good majority of your time repressing most feelings anyway. Today, it’s a bit easier to do than usual, considering that Jake has such a recent memory of those exact sentiments to work from. He draws up the memory of last night: curled up close to Dirk in the comfort of darkness, both of them warm from the other’s body heat and sleepy with the wear of the day. Jake dives in deep, focusing on the calm that washes over him, and the additional fondness that comes along with it.

When he feels ready, Jake slowly opens his deep green eyes to find a pair of sharp amber ones already waiting for him. Leaning in ever so slightly, he blows a gentle, deliberate stream of air toward Dirk’s face. As it leaves his mouth, the charm feels cool and fresh, and Dirk breathes it in deeply as it brushes up against him. This time, it’s his eyes that drift shut, and he allows the beautifully harnessed feeling of the magic to flow through his nose, down the back of his throat.

When Dirk opens his eyes again, there’s a bit of a glaze to them. Jake is overjoyed to witness the charm taking action, sharing that serenity that he had so carefully drawn out for Dirk. Sure, he’s just practicing his magic work, but this charm is _for Dirk_. It feels special that way, intimate. As Dirk’s shoulders relax, Jake finds he couldn’t be more pleased.

“Awesome,” Dirk breathes out languidly, catching himself and attempting to straighten up a bit. “Good work, Jake.”

The witch and the familiar hold eye contact with each other for a long moment. Both of their faces are warm with emotion, with the energy that’s now shared between them even more directly than usual. Jake feels so close to Dirk, and it’s a wonderfully intoxicating experience. He finds himself subtly leaning in closer, and his heart leaps when Dirk seems to do the same. They both stop around the same point, a silent understanding between them that simply leaves their breath quietly intermingling in the space.

“So… How do you feel?” Jake asks quietly, sincerely. Dirk nods ever so slightly before answering.

“Better,” he admits, sitting up a bit. “It’s a nice break.”

That puts a gentle smile on Jake’s face as he straightens up as well. “Capital.” A pause, and then: “I… Of course I want to proceed with our work, but I do have a small request?”

“Yeah, sure. I’m all ears.”

“Let _me_ make _you_ some tea,” Jake says plainly, but the earnestness of the statement is evident. Dirk can’t help a small smile, and the witch continues. “And maybe pet your hair again? It’s quite soft, you know. I mean, I figure since you’re already suitably relaxed, it might be nice. A rare occasion.”

It’s an interesting request, to be sure; even in his charmed haze, Dirk’s eyes are intense as he watches Jake.

“And this is something you want to do?” 

Jake nods eagerly, his expression open. “Actually, it might be a bit of a selfish thing to ask in that regard. I would really like to do that.”

For as heavy as it _could_ be, the air feels light and clear between him and Dirk. The familiar gives a thoughtful hum. “One more charm. Then we can get on to it.”

“That sounds plum perfect to me!” Jake gives another smile, warm and just for his familiar. “What’s our ultimate charm for the day, then?” 

The morning light filters in through the window, painting the room in warmth. There are tiny dust particles dancing in the air—it almost adds a sense of regular, quotidian magic. Dirk’s catlike pupils dilate, and Jake is momentarily taken aback by how handsome the blonde is.

“How about a bonding charm?” Dirk suggests, giving a casual half-shrug. “Something for the both of us.”

Jake exhales a soft breath, eyes soft with a smile. “I can’t recall ever doing one of those before. Sounds like the bee’s knees.”

With that, they go about gathering the necessary ingredients in companionable silence, Dirk directing Jake on what to grab and laying it all out on the desk. He’s eventually prompted to find a personal item that he wouldn’t mind parting with for a time—it will be in Dirk’s possession instead. Jake immediately knows what he wants to use, heading to his room and retrieving a scarf. The article is warm and plush, a deep forest green: it’s the first thing Jake ever hand-knitted by himself, and he’s happy for Dirk to hold onto it. Folding it up in his arms, he leaves to grab a morning glory from the windowsill outside of the study, and returns to the room to take his seat. There’s a tattered, well-read book sitting on the desk when Jake arrives, along with a variety of other ingredients.

“There looks to be a lot going on here,” he comments curiously, adding his own items to the layout. Jake recognizes lapis dust and what looks like a bear claw next to the old book.

“Well, think about it,” Dirk begins, “This one involves two people. There’s going to be some more shit going on than just a single-user charm.”

“Ah, right-o, it’s a tango,” Jake says with a nod. Dirk carefully passes him the worn book—its title is too faded to discern, and the witch runs a gentle finger along the spine. “So, what do we have here, anyhoo?”

It’s almost imperceptible, but Jake knows Dirk too well to not pick up on the slight bashfulness in his voice. “My copy of _The Last Unicorn._ ”

Looking down at the book fondly, Jake smiles. “Well-loved, I see,” he comments. The level of trust makes him feel warm, and Dirk simply ducks his head a bit at the notice.

“Yeah. Go ahead, chew the petal and smear the the dust,” he instructs, nodding toward the charm ingredients. Jake delicately sets _The Last Unicorn_ in his lap while he chews the plant-mineral mixture as told. Thankfully, this one tastes much better than the Dragon’s Breath, and he doesn’t mind holding it in his mouth while they continue.

In the meantime, Dirk picks up the bear claw and sticks the pad of his thumb with it; it’s sharp enough to draw blood, red liquid beading up at the prick. Wordlessly, he holds his hand out toward his partner, and Jake takes it with no prompting needed. He’s a bit surprised—it’s rare that they utilize blood in their work together, at least that Jake has experienced so far. There’s a powerful level of magic that runs through a familiar’s and witch’s veins, something that is not to be used lightly. Although his instinct is to inspect and bandage the injury, Jake simply holds Dirk’s hand, the warm blood smearing over the back of his knuckles.

“Hold on tight to the book,” Dirk tells him, Jake’s scarf held in his free-hand. His eyes are mesmerizing. “And blow.”

Jake does. He exhales the same way he did for the previous charm, holding Dirk’s book to his chest like a lifeline. It’s as if he can feel Dirk’s pulse in the tome as well as in his hand, and Jake’s chest feels full and warm—their already strong bond thrums through him, the points of skin contact resonating with absolute magnetism. Dirk tenderly squeezes his hand, content to be close.

“Whoa,” Jake whispers, his breath hitching a little bit. He smiles and continues to hold tight to both the book and his familiar, who runs a finger gently along the inside of his wrist.

“Whoa?”

“Just… wasn’t expecting how that feels. It’s nice.” Briefly, Jake wonders if he was ready for this, but the answer quickly comes to him. He trusts Dirk, and tries not to combat the almost overwhelming sense of closeness. _You’re allowed to be vulnerable around me._ Jake knows Dirk will catch him.

They sit there quietly, comfortably. Jake swallows before speaking. “I still want to make you that tea, but um… Could I perhaps—hold you for a bit first?”

Dirk just looks at him. Jake looks back. Are they leaning towards each other again? The witch thinks so, it must be so as his arms wrap around his familiar and there are arms around him in turn. It’s so warm here in the sunlight, in Dirk’s arms, in his beloved Grandma’s room that still feels faintly of her spirit. When Jake’s lips find Dirk’s, soft and uncertain but determined, it’s like coming home. They are home, and the gentle sound of purring that rumbles from a certain someone’s chest only makes it feel all the more so.

**Author's Note:**

> AMAZING ART BY [BEKARTX](https://twitter.com/bekartx) go check them out!! <3
> 
> This is literally the first actual fic I have ever written and I think I might pop.
> 
> HUGE shoutout to my catboyex-wife Di for helping me remember how the hell to write, and also for being an incredibly supportive tormentor in my life.
> 
> Also this is heavily based off of an old MxRP I had, so hey familiar!Dirk if you ever see this somehow - thanks for the RP and creative fodder!
> 
> my tumblr: [genesisfrog](https://genesisfrog.tumblr.com./)


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